England and the Angevin Empire in the Reign of Henry II: (1154-89)

Course Overview

The reign of Henry II marks one of the highest points both of the Kingdom of England and the 12th-century Renaissance in the High Medieval Period. The King of England ruled a personal dominion which stretched from Newcastle to Toulouse. The period between 1154-1189 in England and the Angevin Empire was not only a return to stability after a devastating civil war but was also concomitant with the expansion of many of the most important developments of Medieval history. It was an age of sublime cathedrals, sacred monasteries and mighty castles - a period where Medieval Europe was at its most expansionistic, inquisitive, self-assured and creative. It marked the beginning of Christendom, which was increasingly connected and internally expanding into a cohesive cultural unit. Not only does this period boast some of the finest Medieval scholarship of modern times from William Warren to John Gillingham, but also a wonderful range of interpretations which allow for a subtle inquiry into key themes such as Church Reform, law, and even the concept of 'Empire' itself. It details the reform, growth and struggles of a king to weld together a gigantic dominion beset by diverse challenges. Some might go as far to say that after it, a Britain not so far from our own had begun to emerge.